It’s vacation season.  Parents everywhere are thinking about the complexities of getting everyone to their fun-filled destination safely and sanely. Whether you take a 2 hour plane trip or a 14 hour car ride, traveling with kids can be stressful. While a family vacation is a great way to spend time together, relax, and make memories, you must make the journey there first.  Here are some tips for making traveling with kids a little more enjoyable.

Fight hunger

Hunger can affect kids behavior and attitude. During travel, pack easy snacks for the car like grapes, smoothies, and crackers. This is a great time to purchase those individually wrapped snacks you usually don’t. They are easy for the adults in the car and seem like a treat for the kids. Stephanie Pratt, mother of two girls, suggests planning lunch stops that allow kids to burn off energy like a restaurant with a play area “Much like you need to stretch your legs, kids need to more.’ she says. Packing a picnic for a rest area or park along the way lets them have some fresh air and lots of open space to play. 

Timing

Timing is everything when you are traveling with little ones. Try to plan travel around normal nap times or bed times so that kids will rest during the majority of the drive. Also plan breaks often enough that kids can get out and stretch and burn off energy. Mother of five, Rachael Kennedy says, “When we are driving on the interstate, we stop at rest stops and the boys do races to get energy out.” Recognize that a trip with kids is going to take longer. Leave extra time in your travel schedule for impromptu stops, as well as planned ones. Wesbsites like www.roadtripradar.com can help you find attractions and hidden gems along the way. The key to traveling with kids is to plan ahead, but also be flexible.